A 69-year-old grandad has retired from a career as a BBC video editing assistant to produce creative videos for his YouTube DIY channel, earning more than 150,000 views and the ultimate praise from his granddaughter: “Don’t worry, Grandpa can fix it.”
John Mildred, 69, a retired assistant video editor for the BBC, has always loved DIY, and in June 2020 – during lockdown – the grandad found the perfect opportunity to start his DIY tips and tricks YouTube channel – John the Handyman. When John managed to save £2,638 using a platform that gives money back on purchases, he decided to splash the cash on a Fuji X-T4 camera to help film his creative videos full of split screens, special effects and catchy montages.
Now, John – who has two children, Louise, 39, and Matthew, 36, as well as a granddaughter, Isabelle, two – is preparing to edit his latest videos, including a wedding arch he built for his daughter’s big day and a game that he made for the reception.